Cleat



Mar. '27, 1923.

A. J. THOMSON Filed Sept. 22, I922 Luus'nior." JIM? JThonwaw,

Patented ar. 27, 1923,

FFICE.

CLEA'I'.

Application filed September 22, 1922. Serial No. 589,920.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, ALFRED J. THOMSON, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Canton, in the county of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCleats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cleats or cord fastening devices for use onthe frames used by tanners for stretching and treating hides, and hasfor its object the production of a simple devicereadily attached to theframe and which will securely hold the toggle cord and prevent anyslipping thereof.

The invention consists of'a one-piece cleat formed of bent wire andprovided with eyes by which it may be secured to the frame by screws ornails, said cleat consisting of two substantially parallel portions,interposed between said extending from the said eyes, and having attheir opposite ends reverse bends formin acute angles with said parallelportions, these reversely bent portions being-connected together by across member.

The invention further consists in forming said parallel portions withupward bends beneath said cross member, the space between said bends andcross member being less than the diameter of the toggle cord used.

The invention further consists in forming said cleat with the eyes andforward end of the parallel portions in the same plane with thereversely bent portions angularly disposed relatively thereto.

The invention further consists in certain novel features of constructionand arrangement of parts which will be understood readily by referenceto the description of the drawings and to the claims to be herein.-after given.

For the purpose of illustrating the inven- 4 tion, one preferred formthereof is shown in the drawings, this form having been found to givesatisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood thatthe various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can bevariously arranged and organized, and that the invention is not limitedto the precise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities asherein shown and described, except as required by the scope of theappended claims. Of the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a plan of a cleat embodying the principles of thepresent invention, shown attached to a portion of the hide-stretchingframe.

Figure 2 represents a front elevation of the same, and

Figure 8 represents a side elevation of the same.

Similar characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures ofthe drawings.

In the drawings, 10, 10 are two parallel portion of a cleat formed ofone piece of wire, these parallel portions 10, 10 being separated fromeach other as indicated in Figure 1 of the drawings.

One end of the parallel portions 10, 10 have laterally extendingportions 11 on the ends of which are formed eyes 12 by which the cleatmay be secured by means of nailsor screws 13 to a hide-stretching frame141.

The opposite ends of the parallel portions 10, 10 have reverse bends 15formed therein from which the parts 16 extend toward the eyes 12, theopposite ends of these parts 16 being connected by means of a member 17.

Beneath the member 17 the parallel portions 10, 10 of the cleat are eachprovided with an upward bend 18, the distance between these bends 18 andthe connecting member 17 being less than the diameter of the toggle cord19 adapted to coact with the 0 eat.

The reversely extending parts 16 are at an acute angle to the parallelportions 10, 10, thereby forming a pair of notches, the walls of whichare adapted to impinge upon the cord 19 when inserted in said notches.

The parts 16 are also positioned at an angle to the face of the frame14, the ends nearest the eyes 12 being a greater distance from the faceof the frame 14 than the opstruction is secured to the hide and thecord.

19 thereof is then adapted to be secured to the cleat and held securelyin position during the stretching of the hide and treating thereof. I

When the toggle has been secured to the hide, the cord is pulled andforced over the upward bends 18 beneath the cross member 17. The cord isthen still further pulled until it is positioned as indicated in dottedlines on Figure 1 of the drawings, in the notches formed by the members10, 1.5, and 16.. This will cause the cord to be gripped and it will beheld in position under ordinary circumstances, but it has been found inpractice that it is desirable to get an additional grip upon the cord inorder to more firmly hold it in position. This is accomplished by havingthe parallel portions 10, 10 in one plane and the parts 16 in a plane atan angle to the plane in which the pertions 10, 10 are located, i. e.,inclined upwardly from the reverse bends 15, as indicated in Figure 3.

By thus constructing the cleat, the cord passes under the parts 16 andover the pertions 10, 10 making a bend in the cord which, in addition tothe grip due to the cord being wedged between the parts 10, 16, looksthe cord so that all slipping thereof in the cleatis absolutelyprevented.

By making the eyes 12 at some distance outside of the parallel parts 10,and connected thereto by means of the parts 11, the cord may be pulledtaut in the cleat, the parts 11 yielding slightly under the strain, andwhen the cord has been released the cleat being formed of resilientwire, the parts 11 will spring back into their normal position asindicated in Figure 1 of the drawings, giving a slightly additional pullupon the free end of the cord, to the opposite end of which is attachedthe usual toggle secured to the hide being stretched.

By making the cleat in this manner, there is no danger of breaking thewire at the bends 15, as it has been found in practice will happen withcleats in which the parts 16 are located directly over the parallelparts 10, as is shown in an earlier Patent No 880,764: issued to me'March 3, 1908.

This makes avery effective form of cleat which is simple to constructand by which the toggle cord may be securely held in po sition duringthe stretching of the hide.

It is believed that the operation and many advantages of the inventionwill be readily understood without further description.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A cord-holding cleat formed of a single piece of wire bent into shapeand comprising two eyes; at the opposite ends of said wire parallelportions extending from said eye's; reverse bends at the opposite endsofsaid parallel portions extending outwardly toward said eyes and at anacute angle to said parallel portions; and a cross member connectingsaid reversely bent portions.

2. A cord-holding cleat formed of a single piece of wire bent into shapeand co'mprising two eyes; at the opposite ends of said wire parallelportions extending from said eyes and having upward bends therein;reverse bends at the opposite ends of said parallel portions extendingoutwardly toward said eyes and at an acute angle to said parallelportions; and a cross member connecting said reversely bent portions andpositioned above the upward bends in said parallel portions a distanceless than the diameter of a toggle cord to be used therewith.

3. A cord-holding cleat formed of a single piece of wire bent into shapeand comprising two eyes; at the opposite ends of said wire parallelportions extending from said eyes and adapted to rest upon ahidestretching frame; reverse bends at the opposite ends of saidparallel portions extending outwardly towards said eyes and at an acuteangle to said' parallel portions, said reversely extending portionsbeing inclined upwardly away from said frame; and a cross memberconnecting said reversely bent portions.

4. A cord-holding cleat formed of a single piece of wire bent into shapeand comprising two parallel portions spaced apart; a cross member abovesaid parallel portions and spaced therefrom with the opposite endsextending outwardly beyond said parallel portions; inclined portionsconnecting the opposite ends of the cross member with one end of saidparallel portions; and means at the opposite end of said parallelportions for securing the cleat to a hide-stretching frame.

5. A cord-holding cleat formed ofa single piece of wire bent into shapeand comprising two parallel portions spaced apart; a cross member abovesaid parallel. portions and spaced therefrom with the opposite endsextending outwardly beyond said parallel portions; inclined portionsconnecting the opposite ends of the cross member with one end of saidparallel portions; and eyes connected by laterally extending parts tothe opposite end of said parallel portions.

the opposite ends of said cross member and inclined inwardly, connectingwith said parallel portions by reverse bends.

Signed by me at Boston, Mass, this 20th day of September, 1922.

ALFRED J. THOMSON. Witnesses:

NATHAN C. LoMBARD, H. V. PINKERTQN.

